Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-04-11
GOBBLING THE TIMBER.
AN ILLINOIS MAN COMES DOWN ON
THE TIMBER GRABBERS,

And Sets the Government to Gobbling
the Gobblers-A Big Speculation in
Redwood, Started by an Expert.
Brought to Grief-0ther Land Irregu-
larities-Pacific Railway Commission.
WASHINGTON CITY, April 11.-Commis
sioner Sparks, of the general land office, has
recommended to the secretary of the interior
that suit be instituted in the territorial
courts of New Mexico to vacate the patents
to about $4,000 acres of land in Colorado
and New Mexico, alleged TO have been erro-
neously included in the TERRA Amarillo
grant, dated Feb Is. 1881. The recommend
alton is based upon report of Surveyor
General Julian, of New Mexico, from which
| it appears that the patent embraced the COM
| mon lands that were left free to the public
by reservation of the Mexican government,
| which therefore could not pass under the
| grant and confirmation.
Commissioner Sparks has received in
formation that the grand jury at Portland,
| Ore, has returned nine indictments against
| parties for forgery and conspiracy to de-
| fraud the government in the Oregon swamp
lands case, known as list No Of the Lake
view district.
| Officials of the general land office are
| watching with much interest the outcome Of
the trials now pending in California of what
are designated as the Redwood frauds. !"
| According to the land Office officials much of
| the land for the past ten years which has
been entered in the Redwood, Cal, district
has been frauduently entered. One C. II.
| Putnam is said by these officers to be the
head or moving spirit in the Redwood Lum-
er company. He is represented as having
| Travelled extensively visited Europe and diff
| ferent parts of this country studying the
qualities of lumber until he became an ex-
pert.
Arriving in California from Iowa, Mime
| sofa and Wisconsin, where he is said to have
made numerous fraudulent entries Of public
| timber lands, he at once saw that the timber
of the Redwood district was of peculiarly
| valuable character. 1t was but the work of
few weeks to organize a company to enter
these lands at the government price, and he
it is said, did it. A number of Sco,ch CAPT
| talists then In California seeking vestments,
were quick to see that the investment was
good one, and they put in large amount
of money. From that time onward accord.
lllS W tud StdtbLteHb OI tilc
but few if any bona fide entire,
of the timber land of the Redwood district
have been made. Several registers and re.
ceivers are said to have fallen into the
clutches Of the company, and many EN-
ployes of these officers, it is charged, have
been in the paw of the combination Severa
government inspectors have been sent out tC
investigate the alleged frauds, but unit
now, it is said, they have either been pur
chased outright or inundated by the Red
wood companys officers. About year agt
Mr.. B. F. Bergen, of Illinois, persona
friend of Commissioner sparks. was design
sted to investigate these alleged fraudulent
entries. He was man who could neither
be bought nor mtimidatei, and has so far
the land office people say, secured testimony
| of the men who were purchased TO make tn,
| fraudulent entries at the instance of the
Redwood company sufficient to procure fifty
hearings IN the courts of California, mad,
reports on 100 entries and partial reports or
$50 others. The aggregate fraudulent entrie
| in this one district Is estimated by lant
officials to amount to over 50, 900 acres ant
they believe that in the courts testimony vii
be presented that will secure the conviction
of many of the most prominently connectef
with the Redwood lumber company.